The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Monday met with supporters of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara at his private residence in Port Harcourt.
At the meeting, Wike declared that a bloc vote for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election would be key to securing more political appointments, infrastructure development and greater national relevance for Rivers State.
He spoke during an interactive meeting with Fubara’s supporters and youth leaders who were members of the defunct Simplified Movement, a political platform associated with the governor.
Wike said aligning with the Federal Government would strengthen the state’s position in national politics.
He urged party members, youth groups and grassroots stakeholders to put past grievances behind them, forgive previous missteps and rally behind Tinubu, stressing that political alliances should be guided by the interests and potential gains of the state.
Wike said, “All I want to hear in this state is Tinubu and nothing but Tinubu. If we play the role we are playing now, and we are one of the first three states that get the highest number of votes, we will get more of the appointments.”
Citing what he described as the administration’s achievements, Wike said the Tinubu government had broken records in the number of high-profile federal appointments given to indigenes of Rivers State.
He added that a large voter turnout for the President would secure greater opportunities for the state, particularly its youth.
Reflecting on his political journey, Wike said his primary motivation was to ensure that Rivers State remained central to national decision-making and that no President could afford to sideline its political leadership.
He cited infrastructure projects, including the Bonny road, as evidence of Tinubu’s commitment to delivering legacy projects in the region.
The minister also spoke about political realignments, saying local political structures across different platforms were coming together to support the President.
Acknowledging that political transitions and alliances could generate friction, rumours and disagreements, Wike called for calm and reconciliation at the grassroots.
He assured those who felt sidelined that reconciliation committees were working to ensure that no genuine party member was left behind.
“We are talking for survival and growth,” Wike said, urging local government youth leaders to return to their communities, mend fences and prepare for the forthcoming campaign committees and Tinubu’s planned visit to the state.
“I am not going to be governor again; this is for your own interest. I want this state to grow. I want this state to play an important role in the politics of Nigeria,” he said.
Earlier, a former Chairman of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, Ezebunwo Ichemati, who spoke on behalf of Fubara’s supporters, declared the group’s readiness to work with Wike to deliver Rivers State to Tinubu and other candidates under the Rainbow Coalition.
Ichemati described the meeting as a turning point in the state’s political landscape, signalling a united front between the Wike and Fubara camps as preparations for the 2027 general elections intensify.
He said the group was committed to joining the coalition to support Tinubu and other candidates, including Kingsley Chinda, who he said was seeking the governorship of the state.
The former council chairman described the political crisis in Rivers State as a temporary family dispute that had given way to reconciliation.
“Every family has its own peculiarity in problems. What matters most is that the family comes together, the children watch what has divided them, and decide to move forward.
“If today a marriage faces a problem, some children will go to their father, some will go to their mother. But when a truce is made, the family comes back together, and that is what has happened today,” he said.
Addressing Wike, Ichemati described the FCT minister as the leading political figure in Rivers State and credited both Wike and Fubara with initiating the peace deal that brought the opposing camps together.
He said Fubara was fully aware of and supported the meeting with Wike.
Ichemati said the reconciliation went beyond rhetoric, pledging that grassroots youths who served as political foot soldiers during the crisis would now work for the coalition.
“The state has been held back for a very long time. Now that you are bringing this peace initiative down to the youths, who are the foot soldiers, I want to assure you that we commit ourselves to joining our brothers in the Rainbow Coalition.
“What you see here today will transform into a force that will deliver. We don’t want to say much. All we can say is: test us, try us, and we will deliver,” he said.
The PUNCH reports that Monday’s meeting came 24 hours after Wike led members of the state House of Assembly and the state’s 23 local government chairmen to meet Fubara at the governor’s private residence in Port Harcourt on Sunday evening.
Sunday’s meeting was the second time Wike had led members of the Rainbow Coalition to meet Fubara at his residence as part of efforts to sustain reconciliation ahead of the 2027 elections.
Also on Monday, the Rivers State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, recalled three lawmakers loyal to Fubara who had been suspended during the political crisis.
A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the meeting was arranged by Ichemati and other former local government chairmen associated with the defunct Simplified Movement.
The source said Wike recognised that Fubara had built a political support base during the crisis and wanted to bring those loyal to the governor into the Rainbow Coalition ahead of the elections.
“Wike is a very smart politician. He knows that there are a lot of politicians, like the former local government chairmen who were sacked by the Supreme Court, and their councillors.
“He doesn’t want to take chances, especially as he recently vowed to resign if his principal, President Bola Tinubu, does not win Rivers State and the FCT in the 2027 elections.”
The source added, “What he has done is to bring in those who are emotionally attached to Governor Fubara before the general elections and bring them into the Rainbow Coalition.”
The outcome of Monday’s meeting could not be independently ascertained as of the time of filing this report.